Freedom Ranger weights

[jakobvanschagen]

I thought I would post some numbers on my Freedom Rangers that are getting ready to go to freezer camp...

I started with 102 Freedom Rangers from JM Hatchery. Sold a few as live birds and had 8 deaths. These weights come from 82 remaining Rangers.

These birds are raised on three acres of pasture. Their feed is 18% protein and I had no leg problems on any of these birds. Males and females ranged together. These are live weights at 10 weeks of age. There were a few runts but as the averages show most of the birds were uniform in size for the most part.

Red males
High: 6.25
Low: 3.56
Ave: 5.31

Red females
High: 5.31
Low: 4.19
Ave: 4.69

Yellow males
High: 6.00
Low: 3.13
Ave: 5.96

Yellow females
High: 5.50
Low: 3.94
Ave: 4.61

Tricolor males (tricolor, speckled, and heavy barring)
High: 5.56
Low: 3.13
Ave: 5.06

Tricolor females (speckled and heavy barring)
High: 4.50
Low: 4.38
Ave: 4.44

ALL MALES
High: 6.25
Low: 3.13
Ave: 5.49

ALL FEMALES:
High: 5.50
Low: 3.44
Ave: 4.61

I also weighed one of the cornish X birds that is on pasture as well. This pullet weighed 3.5 pounds at 5 weeks old.

 

[eKo_birdies]

thanks for the info!! i enjoyed seeing the weights broken up by color...very nice!

at what age are you planning on processing? mine grew DRASTICALLY between 10 and 12 weeks of age (they will be 12 weeks tomorrow). so much so that the biggest of the bunch NEED to go.. they don't look anything close to comfortable anymore. the smaller ones of the bunch i am thinking i will let go another week.

 

[jakobvanschagen]

They are going next week at 11 weeks old. It will be interesting to see how they dress out.

 

[Wolfwoman]

It will be interesting to see how they dress out. I did CX and I can say that even tho I didn't weigh each and every one, that the ones I did weigh lost 2-3 lbs between live and dressed weight. One of my 11lbs roos dressed at 9.2lbs, and one of my 9lbs hens dressed at 6.5 lbs.... I only have a small scale, so to weigh them I have to stick them in a 5 gallon bucket... TRY THAT with an 11lb bird

I have 20 more to process en 4-6 weeks, I may weigh more of those.

 

[jakobvanschagen]

Most of my CXs (past and present) dress out between 66% and 75% of their live bodyweight (whole birds). Hoping these are somewhere in that catergory.....

 

[petrelline]

My FRs are exactly the same age as yours, and mine are just a tad heavier than that, maybe half a pound. I raised them on 20% non-medicated chick starter. I'm going to process them this weekend because they're on the large side of what I like.

I didn't like the FRs much when they were growing (I'm used to DP birds, and the FRs were sluggish and ugly and STINKY), but they've turned out OK. I think the reds are the healthiest and more active of the three colors.

 

[eKo_birdies]

just wondering if you guys had processed weights on your birds now that it's all said and done?

 

[jakobvanschagen]

The hens overall average was 4.25 pounds whole and in the bag. Males overall average was 4.8 pounds.

I have had nothing but praise and great comments on the quality of the meat. I will be ordering more Freedom Rangers next year and experimenting with F2 Rangers.

 

[eKo_birdies]

great!!! thank you for the info!! that is VERY comparable to my weights (although i butchered at 12 weeks).

the taste of these blows the cornish X straight out of the water!!!! not even a comparison IMO! my brother actually asked me to trade his cornish X in his freezer (raised exactly the same as the rangers) for freedom rangers.

i'd say that speaks for itself!

needless to say.... we are only doing rangers from here on out... no more cornish X for us.

have you guys seen that JM is no longer handling the sales of rangers, but rather it goes through their SIL now? here's the info...
http://www.jmhatchery.com/free-range-broiler/freedom-ranger-chicks/prod_5.html
http://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/

 

[raimnel]

Any more info on the freedom rangers? We're looking into something other than cornish X for nest spring. We're looking for a bird that will be like 6 lbs??? at about 12 weeks? is this our bird?